Eng 9: To Solve a Mockingbird Continues: Analysis Before the Designing

On Thursday and Friday, Monday and Tuesday, we'll be designing solutions to the problems the characters in To Kill a Mockingbird face in a two-day design sprint.  We'll be working Little Bits into the options for solutions so we may create working prototypes at the next level.

Before we get there  . . .

You have two pieces of analysis you need to complete.

1.  FLIPGRID: Scene Analysis.

In class we took a look at the jailhouse scene in To Kill a Mockingbird and explored how the filmmakers used angles, framing, composition, costuming, production design and more to deliver important messages about equality, tolerance, innocence, fear, ignorance, strength, knowledge, and more.

Now you must go to this flipgrid, choose a still shot from the collection linked there (and shared with you on Google Drive) and complete a two to three minute analysis of your own.

You might want to find the film (it's available on Netflix and can be taken out from the MBC Library on DVD) and see the moving images.  You might find some more clips on the MovieClips YouTube channel.

Post it on your BLOG and then link to that blog post on the blog tracker.

2. To Kill a Mockingbird Foreshadowing REVISIT.

Shared with you on Google Drive is a new version of the foreshadowing and symbolism graphic organizer you used the other day.  The difference?  Now you've seen the whole film.  These are no longer predictions.

Determine the extent to which your predictions were successful.   What have you now noticed about these potential symbols?  What do they mean?

English 9: To Solve a Mockingbird: This Week

This week we've started our To Solve a Mockingbird unit, which involves a formal narrative writing assessment (a short memoir inspired by To Kill a Mockingbird) and a design challenge sprint.

Monday/Tuesday:  May 8/9

Symbolism/Foreshadowing in TKaM.
Watch TKaM.
Writing Workshop: 4th Narrative.
Read: Indie Book.

Wednesday/Thursday: May 10/11
Watch TKaM
Writing Workshop: 4th Narrative.
Read Indie Book

Friday/Monday: May 12/15
Watch TKaM: Identify problems emerging
4th Narrative: Submission Draft DUE
Read Indie Nook


BLOG: This week.
1. Symbolism/Foreshadowing in TkaM.  See Graphic Organizer
2. SCORE the BOOK.

This week's critical creativity challenge for your blog post relates to your independent reading book:  SCORE the BOOK.

Based on what you have read thus far in your book, compose an original instrumental score(no lyrics) to accompany the reading of your book using either a digital tool (Garage Band, Soundtrap, Wolfram, BeatsLab, etc.) or live instrumentation.  You may work with a musical friend to develop your score.  Your score should be at least three minutes in length to demonstrate your thinking extends beyond just a single moment in the book and reflect typical song length -- though film scores tend to be longer.

Seek inspiration from these playlists 

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuovSEX8xEHcnuLO67zykCaYU_WnSy6Ia

and

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLHA-54EZhpRXKR1L5zOoDPygZoUfiIfu6

After composing your score, post it on your blog along with an explanation that connects THREE moments from the text (use text evidence) to THREE moments in your score (use time stamps) to help your reader understand your intentions.

4TH NARRATIVE.  Due Friday, May 12th.
DESIGN CHALLENGE.  To Solve a Mockingbird. Due, Tuesday May 22nd.

Eng 9: To Solve a Mockingbird: Experiment & Produce Phases

We'll start with a brief reading session and then . . .

And then . . . we invent and create.

There's an adjustment to the expectation for your invention:  you do not have to use Little Bits.  They are a tool.  They are a great tool.  My excitement about using them shouldn't limit your imagination or problem solving skills.

You MUST create a tangible invention.  It must be something you can hold and use -- or at least easily imagine is functional.  The Little Bits are there to make some of your ideas ACTUALLY happen -- and there are other inventions available too.

8 BOX/STORYBOARD/EMPATHY MAP.
In order to be released to build and hack and make and create, you must put the following in your Eng 9 IN folder on Google Drive:
* Full 8 Box and video documenting that you did it in 4 minutes (if you did it at home)
* Three panel storyboard of your invention in action
* Empathy Map of the character for whom you are designing a solution

Today is also the last day to build and create in class.  At 9 a.m. we will showcase what we've created, get some feedback in either Rose, Bud, Thorn or Four Corners Feedback,  as we get ready for new work next Tuesday and Thursday.

ONE PAGE STORY.
Once you've designed/built your invention, you must write a one-page story from the point of view of your character USING your invention to solve the problem.  Your story needs to demonstrate that you understand the character you have chosen and can empathize with him or her.  It must also prove you understand the story of To Kill a Mockingbird, as well as some of the big ideas -- themes -- in the film.



Anything you don't finish in class becomes homework.  Work hard.  Make awesome thing as I know you will.

Eng 9: To Solve a Mockingbird Day One

How might we invent solutions to the problems characters in To Kill a Mockingbird face using Little Bits and our maker cart materials?

DISCOVER.
Today we started by breaking into three groups and circulating around the room in a modified Chalk Talk.  Everyone had a marker and added to the chart paper asking what sorts of problems the characters from To Kill a Mockingbird are facing.   We considered Tom Robinson, Atticus, Jem, Scout and Boo.

Then we chose design teams.  People can work by themselves, with a partner or with two partners for this design challenge.  

EMPATHY.

Once teams were chosen, we selected the characters for whom we want to invent problem solving solutions.

We used a new tool called the Innovator's Compass to help us wrangle with our challenge.  It was created by a rad designer and educator, Ela Ben-Ur, and you can hear her explain it in this video.

We used it on the makerboard to create an example for Scout, since no one in class chose to design for her.

Here's the results of that work.

After completing Innovator's Compass' for each of our characters in our design teams, we ran the design sprint 8 Box protocol.  That's where you try to come up with 8 ideas in just four minutes.

I didn't take many pictures at this point because I was trying to help folks out.  But here's some rough video I captured.

Tonight's homework follows and it should help you set up for some great experimenting and producing on Wednesday and Friday.  

SHOW YOUR THINKING.

8 Box.  Put 4 minutes on the clock.   

Come up with 8 ideas for invention possibilities that could solve your character's problem.  

Time yourself and take a video using your laptop camera or any other device.  Submit your video to me on Google Drive in your Eng 9 IN folder.

Take a picture of your 8 Box.  Submit that to your folder as well.

Due. Wednesday 5.11.16

Empathy Map.

Use the Empathy Map template to map out what your character is saying and doing and how that relates to what they are thinking and feeling.  We've done this all year going back to Of Mice & Men.  Same idea.  New character.  New challenge.

Submit your map to your IN Folder.

Due. Wednesday 5.11.16

Innovator's Compass.

Please take pics of your compass and put them in your IN folder.

Due. Wednesday 5.11.16

Humanities: LNG and To Kill a Mockingbird

Today we'll start off with an LNG.  Our goal with these are to provide faster, more useful feedback -- just like the blog.  We've got a plan on the teacher side of things to make this happen.

We need you to create great content for us to look at and comment upon.

Here are the links you will find on Google Classroom along with our LNG form.

• Newsela | Federal government sues North Carolina over new voting law
  tags: LNG civil rights humanities
• Denmark's Far-Right Party Argues Migrants Should Help Pay for Their Stay : NPR
  tags: LNG civil rights humanities
• Newsela | John Legend, Juanes visit jail, sing out against immigration laws
  tags: LNG civil rights humanities
• 7 voices sound off on NC's controversial voter ID law | PBS NewsHour
  tags: LNG civil rights voting humanities

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

From here we will dig further into our To a Mockingbird film study.  We'll have a nice chunk of time to progress into the story and per your feedback, we'll watch the whole film before focusing on the analysis.  We'll take in the story.

We'll end class with some work on our Person, Place, Object of Significance essay pre-writing.  What are stories you have of that person, place or object of significance in your life?  It might be an actual experience you had or it may be an experience you know was influenced by the person, place or object.  Our goal here is to capture our memories quickly.

And we'll sketchnoting to do it.

SHOW YOUR THINKING.

LNG. Voting Rights.

Due. Tuesday. Feb 2.

Roots Quiz. 6-8.

Due. Thursday.  Feb 4.

Blogs.

Three Req'd Posts Due Last Week.

Check the Q3 Blog Tracker.

Expect 2 Req'd Posts This Week.

Person/Place/Object of Significance Essay.
Coming up.  Get ready.

Humanities: To Kill a Mockingbird Begins . . .

We're watching To Kill a Mockingbird today, building on the work we started yesterday with the opening credits, foreshadowing and symbolism.  We'll also do some work toward our person, place or object of significance personal essay by . . .

Creating Six Word Memoirs!
Visit Smith Magazine and their teen Six Word Memoir section.
Then write a six word memoir for yourself about where you are at right here, right now.
Then write a six word memoir about one of your places, people or objects of significance.

This will help you tune your brain.

Then it's time to start To Kill a Mockingbird Film Study! (WOOOOOOOT!)

We'll watch and then start completing a new graphic organizer.  It's available on Google Classroom as an assignment.

SHOW YOUR THINKING.

Blog.

Req'd Post.

Blog prompt.  TKAM Foreshadowing How might the objects in the opening credits of To Kill a Mockingbird  foreshadow what is going to happen in this film?  What have you experienced in your life through other reading, watching, or just plain living, that leads you to this? Use your thinking on your graphic organizer to help shape your thinking.
Due.  Monday Feb 1.

Practice.  No Red Ink.

Make Sure You've Completed the Pre-Assessment on Sentence Fragments.  

Study.

Roots 6-8.

Quiz.  Thursday.  Feb 4.

Humanities: To Kill a Mockingbird Analysis: Final Day

Today will be a our last day breaking down To Kill a Mockingbird the film, as we will be looking at a few excerpts from the text and a close viewing of one scene in particular: the jailhouse.

We'll start with a quick LNG.  It's Monday after all.

Then we'll look at To Kill a Mockingbird  as it appeared in text.  See if we can identify the same themes, foreshadowing, and cultural components showing up there and they did in the film.

And we'll end with a film study.  A close view of just that single scene.  And we'll test my thesis:  the jailhouse scene tells the entire story of To Kill a Mockingbird

ASSESSMENT.

Blog: 3+ Posts.
Req'd Post:  Franklin County as Maycomb County.   Using effective composition skills, take at least three pictures that show evidence of Maycomb County culture showing up in Franklin County.  Consider any of the eight components of culture.  You may need to think outside the box a bit here.

These pictures could very well become part of your photo essay, an assessment to be announced this week.

Humanities: To Kill a Mockingbird Continues

Monday we continued watching To Kill a Mockingbird as we uncover another way of looking a culture -- this time through the lens of filmmaking.

To Kill a Mockingbird is an interesting example because it is widely considered one of the best films ever made, it portrays the Depression era south of the 1930s BUT was made in the Civil Rights Era 1960s.  It is a film that could have been made in color, but was made in black and white.  It is a film that could have focused on several of the subplots of the original novel, but focuses on only a few.

Last week we examined the opening credits and made predictions about the symbolic meaning within.


Friday we examined a single frame and the meaning conveyed in that single frame.

On Tuesday, we will be finishing the film.  We will likely start by revisiting our predictions about the credits  and seeing how those surfaced in what we've watched of the film thus far.

Where's all of this going?  We'll be doing a final project around the eight components of culture as they relate to our individual cultural identities.  And we'll be practicing that knowledge by identifying how the components of culture surface in Of Mice & Men and To Kill a Mockingbird.

ASSESSMENTS.

Blog.  No Req'd Blog Posts This Week.  Complete Missing Req'd Posts.  Remember, best collection of evidence
ASAP.

Revise. Theme Song Essays & Complete Revision Submission Form.
ASAP.

Complete.  Romeo & Juliet Projects.
ASAP.

Complete.  To Kill a Mockingbird trailer foreshadowing Graphic Organizer.   Of Mice & Men foreshadowing Graphic Organizer.
ASAP.

Humanities: Foreshadowing & Symbolism: Of Mice & Men and To Kill a Mockingbird

LNG.

Today we'll start as we do every Monday with an LNG.

FORESHADOWING.  OF MICE & MEN.

From there, we'll discuss the results of your foreshadowing work from Friday, connecting the dots between Steinbeck's first chapter of Of Mice & Men and what follows in the rest of the novel.

Remember, Steinbeck was a designer.  He wanted his users to have very specific reactions to his worked with intention.

In fact, take a look at these 6 tips on writing from the man himself.   How do these tips help us better understand what he intended to do with Of Mice & Men?  How can you see them reflected in the novel he wrote?

FORESHADOWING & SYMBOLISM.  TO KILL a MOCKINGBIRD.

We are going to study the film To Kill a Mockingbird at the end of this week.  To help us, we are going to tune up our symbolism lens, as well as our photography and videography skills.

Today we will watch just the first three minutes of the film.  Just like a Of Mice & Men, the opening tells us a great deal about the end.  We will be making predictions of what we believe this film will be about, what will happen, and what sorts of symbolism we will encounter.  How can we do this?  Because we've uncovered Speak and Of Mice & Men.  We can do this.  We're ready for the challenge of making some evidence & pattern-based predictions.

The clip is the Humanities OUT folder.

You'll need to grab screencaps from the film and put them in the graphic organizer I've placed there as well.

ASSESSMENTS.

Blog.  3+ Posts
Req'd Post.  Foreshadowing with Pictures.  Tell a 3 to 5 picture story in images that uses at least one instance of foreshadowing in the first image.  How can you hint at what will happen in the end by hinting in the first image?  You may take photos or draw this story.  Explain your thinking at the end.
Due.  Friday, Mar 27.  Last Req'd Post of the Quarter.

Of Mice & Men Foreshadowing Graphic Organizer.
Due.  Today.  Mar 23.

To Kill a Mockingbird Foreshadowing Graphic Organizer.
Due.  Tuesday.  Mar 24.

Romeo & Juliet Projects.  Due ASAP.

Theme Song Essay Revisions.  Due ASAP.